Lady Pack drops playoff opener

If the Lufkin Lady Panthers hope to make another extended playoff run, they’ll have to do it in comeback fashion.

On Thursday night, Hannah Frank was solid in the pitching circle and the Rockwall Lady Jackets’ bats did just enough to sneak away with a 4-3 victory over the Lady Pack in the first game of a best-of-three Class 6A Region II Bi-District playoff game in Athens.

Frank pitched a complete game, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

That was just enough to outduel Lufkin’s Smiley Radke, who pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on seven hits and four walks to go along with 12 strikeouts.

The Lady Panthers were able to strike first when Tatum Liles led off the second inning with a single. Cailee Hendrick followed with a groundout to third and pinch runner Mikayla Horace took off for third.

When the throw to third got away, Horace came around to score the first run for a 1-0 lead.

The lead was short lived when Sam Bean delivered a two-out RBI single to center that scored Reagan Swildall, tying the game at 1-1.

Lufkin got the lead for the second time in the fourth inning when Samantha Padilla delivered an RBI single, scoring Tatum Liles for a 2-1 advantage.

Rockwall once again had an immediate answer as Frank scored when the ball got away from the catcher with two outs in the inning, knotting the game at 2-2.

The Lady Jackets finally took the lead for the first time in the sixth inning with Swindall hitting an RBI single to left field, making it a 3-2 game.

Rockwall got an insurance run in the seventh inning when Cassie Lawrence hit an RBI single for a 4-2 lead.

That proved to be necessary in the bottom of the seventh when Akridge used her speed to leg out a leadoff single then come around to score on a Sara Mayes RBI double.

However, Frank got the last two outs on a flyout and a grounder, securing the win for Rockwall.

Recent Posts

LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) – After weeks of contemplating, Lufkin’s Malik Jackson has made a decision on his football future. The Panther wide receiver announced on his twitter page Monday that he would be committing to the University of Louisiana...

NACOGDOCHES – Playing in front of a packed houseat SFA’s Homer Bryce Stadium, the Lufkin Panthers and Longview Lobos delivered yet another instant classic in a game that came down to the final minute. Unfortunately for the Panthers, it w...
Lufkin Falls In Heartbreaker

NEW CANEY – Coming into their Class 6A Division II Region II playoff game with an unbeaten record, the Spring Westfield Mustangs were pegged as state title contenders. On Saturday afternoon, the Lufkin Panthers showed why they are serious threa...

The Sideliners Club will not meet tonight, Nov. 27, in light of the Thanksgiving holiday. The meeting has been moved to Tuesday, Nov. 28th at 5:30 p.m. in Room E-108 in the Elmer Redd Athletic Department at the Lufkin High School campus.

CORSICANA – A dominating win over the Rockwall Heath Hawks a week earlier snapped a string of four straight one-and-done playoff finishes for the Lufkin Panthers. On Saturday afternoon, the Panthers showed they were no one-hit wonders in more w...
Lufkin Moves On To Third Round